News
UB Greensfelder Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2027 List
August 20, 2026
As Chair of UB Greensfelder’s Litigation Department, Mike is a nationally recognized trial lawyer who is trusted by his clients to handle their most critical disputes. His practice is focused on complex civil litigation, with an emphasis on commercial and financial services matters. Mike represents clients across the country in a broad range of matters, including the defense of commercial, banking, professional liability, securities, broker-dealer, class action, consumer, product liability, pharmaceutical, and medical device cases. He frequently serves as a mediator and arbitrator, helping find solutions in contentious and complicated disputes. Mike brings a determined, decisive, and results-oriented approach to his cases, which has resulted in his recognition as one of the top trial lawyers in the United States.
National Recognition
- Recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2007-2026) and ranked in Band 1 (the highest of six bands) for General Commercial Litigation (only six other Ohio attorneys earned this ranking). The qualities on which Chambers USA rankings are assessed include technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment, and other qualities most valued by clients. According to client feedback obtained during the selection process, Mike was described as “a razor-sharp litigator and all-around high class guy.” Chambers USA further described Mike as a “go-to attorney,” noting that his practice is “geographically wide-ranging and his expertise includes arbitration and consumer class actions.”
- Selected as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America by Benchmark Litigation (2015-2026), which also recognized Mike as a “State Litigation Star,” defined as an attorney who is recommended consistently as a reputable and effective litigator by clients and peers (2014-2026).
- Named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America (2023-2026).
- Selected to Crain's Cleveland Business Notable Litigators & Trial Attorneys (2025)
- Inducted into Benchmark Litigation’s Hall of Fame, this distinction is given to select attorneys with a long, illustrious career with considerable achievements. They are individuals who have earned unanimous market recognition and praise since Benchmark’s inception (2024).
- Named Best Lawyers Bet-the-Company Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland (2016; 2023) and Litigation-Banking & Finance “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland (2013; 2017; 2021; 2024). Best Lawyers designates only one lawyer per practice area as Lawyer of the Year in the nation’s largest legal markets.
- Named the highest ranking attorney in Ohio (out of approximately 44,000 active attorneys) eight times, including for seven consecutive years, on the Ohio Super Lawyers list. Mike was also featured on the cover of Super Lawyers magazine in an article entitled, “Mike Ungar’s Town.”
- The following are representative quotes taken directly from a recent edition of Benchmark Litigation: “Michael Ungar is beloved by Ohio peers without exception”; “Michael is beyond good, he’s just A1, gold standard awesome”; “If I had to choose one litigator who’s at the top, someone that would be my first choice to represent me in a tough case, Michael would be my first call. He’s an intellectual tough guy who knows how to fight and when to fight, and he is smart about it.”
- In a recent U.S. News & World Report “Best Law Firms” ranking, another firm client observed: “I would put Mike Ungar up against any attorney in the country on the most sophisticated matter.”
- A federal district court judge in evaluating a proposed settlement in a complex multidistrict litigation matter, noted in his order that the “negotiations were supervised by accomplished mediator Michael N. Ungar.”
- Mike is consistently included in The Best Lawyers in America (2006-2025).
- Mike is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell®, its highest available rating for legal ability and professional ethics.
Representation
- Representative clients in recent public matters include: Anheuser-Busch InBev, BPL Plasma, Diebold Nixdorf, Electronic Merchant Systems, Equitable, JPMorgan Chase & Co., KeyBank, McKesson, Morgan Stanley, Prudential Financial, Raymond James Financial Inc., The Sherwin-Williams Company, The Scott-Fetzer Company, and U.S. Bancorp.
- Currently assisting with the representation of one of the largest pharmaceutical distributors in the world in multidistrict litigation, which includes hundreds of cases brought by cities, counties, and other governmental entities seeking billions of dollars in damages related to the opioid crisis.
- Currently defending a Fortune 500 paint and building materials manufacturer in connection with five putative class actions, including a proposed nationwide class, on a variety of claims based on alleged product defects.
- Boston University (B.A., cum laude, 1981)
- Boston University School of Law (J.D., 1984)
- Ohio
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
- City of Cleveland Heights (City Council, 2016-2021)
- City of Cleveland Heights (Chair, Planning Commission, 1999-2016; Master Plan Steering Committee)
- The Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland (Board of Trustees; Board of Directors)
- Law and Leadership Institute (Board Member)
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association The 3Rs – Rights, Responsibilities, and Realities Program (High School Classroom Volunteer 2006-present)
- Appointed by U.S. District Judge Kathleen O’Malley to the Merit Selection Panel for the Reappointment of Incumbent Magistrate Judge James S. Gallas (1999)
- Transition ‘90 (Member, Cleveland Mayor Mike White’s transition team)
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (Past President, 2010-2011; Board of Trustees, 2007-present; Strategic Planning Steering Committee; Professionalism Conciliation Panel, 2015-Present; Executive Committee; Member, Court Rules Committee and Legislation Committee; Chair, Judicial Selection Committee, 2005, 2006; Vice Chair, Judicial Selection Committee, 2002-2004; Chair, Litigation Section, 2000-2001; Chair, Litigation Institute, 1999; Vice Chair, Litigation Section, 1999; Chair, Presidential Special Committee on Judicial Excellence 2011-2012)
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation (Member and Fellow)
- Ohio State Bar Association’s Commission on Judicial Candidates (Member)
- The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland (Past President, Board of Directors Executive Committee; to view Mike’s President Address at the 2020 Legal Aid Annual Meeting, click here; to view written remarks Mike shared with the Northeast Ohio legal community regarding the fight for social justice, click here)
- American Bar Association (Litigation Section; Commercial and Banking Litigation and Business Torts Committee)
- Ohio State Bar Association (Litigation Section; parliamentarian of the Association’s Council of Delegates)
- American College of Trial Lawyers (Fellow)
- Appointment by Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor of the Supreme Court of Ohio to Task Force on the Funding of Ohio Courts (2012)
- Securities Industry Association (Member, Compliance & Legal Division)
- American Inns of Court (Founding Member of a Cleveland Chapter)
- Judge John M. Manos Inn of Court (Master Bencher)
- Litigation Counsel of America (Senior Fellow)
- Chair, Litigation Department
- Member, Governing Board
